The topic of work-life balance has found some new dimensions under the larger social discourse. One of the main reasons why it has come to the fore is because of the statements made against it by major company executives.
This includes the likes of Infosys co-founder Narayan Murthy, who famously postulated the 70-hour-work "theory". This was followed by L&T chief SN Subrahmanyan, who not only asked for a 90-hour workweek but also wanted his employees to work on Sundays.
Harsh Goenka, the chair of the RPG group shared a post carrying a video former Pepsico head Indra Nooyi, giving her take on the idea.
It is to be remembered that Goenka himself has supported work-life-balance in the past.
Tale Of Cookies
In the post, Goenka shared a caption which read, "Work-life balance- a lovely story from Indra Nooyi"
Nooyi, firstly claims, "I tell them there is nothing called balance. It doesn't exist. At best, you can juggle all these priorities."
Making her case, Nooyi goes on to tell a story of how this case panned out in her own personal life.
She said, "I'll give you one story, Ken. When my children were to come to the Sacred Heart in Greenwich, and I get a call from my younger daughter, Mom, your turn to bring chocolate chip cookies for the class coffee this morning. I go, you didn't tell me, I didn't do it."
Her daughter argued and said, it's on the little table on the refrigerator, you didn't see it.
Indra Nooyi claimed that she was busy.
No Nestle Toll
She further added, "So now it's like 9 o'clock. I'm supposed to walk in with chocolate chip cookies at 10 o'clock. And she says, do not bake those Nestle Toll House cookies."
Talking about the raging issue of work-life balance, she further added, "But you see, I juggled priorities. Did I balance them? No, I didn't schedule time to bake cookies because I just didn't have the time. Women already are super people, OK? Because they somehow make it all work. But anybody who uses the word balance is crazy." |
Nooyi found a way around, she approached her cafeteria for help.
"Because everybody knows that you're supposed to make homemade cookies. When am I going to make homemade cookies? First, I don't know how to make them, and I can't do it in an hour. So I call down to my cafeteria and say guys, I need help.", she added.
I Juggled Priorities
The Pepsi boss further added, "I need homemade cookies in an hour. In 40 minutes, I'll pay whatever it takes. Just give it to me. They go, on it, Mrs. Noe. So in 40 minutes, I get the most delectable homemade cookies in aluminium foil. So it's not professional. I walk into school with it. Evidently, those cookies tasted fabulous. And my daughter was a hero."
Talking about the raging issue of work-life balance, she further added, "But you see, I juggled priorities. Did I balance them? No, I didn't schedule time to bake cookies, because I just didn't have the time. Women already are super people, OK? Because they somehow make it all work. But anybody who uses the word balance is crazy."
